MethLab tells an uniquely “Iowa” story while exploring a serious epidemic

When we started the DMSC, I knew one commitment we would make would be to do work that was rooted in this place. DMSC believes in growing local arts, artists and audiences, and we want to delve into what makes Des Moines unique and wonderful. We founded the CoLab project to build original pieces of theater around Iowa stories.

Our mission at DMSC is to use the arts to build community, to bring together different groups of people. So for our first CoLab we developed a dramatic biography of Evelyn Davis, a beloved local activist. It brought a group of people to the DMSC who had never previously set foot there.

For our current project, we took a 360 degree look at the issue of meth in our society. We talked to users, dealers, law enforcement, lawyers, legislators and families. A diverse team swapped ideas and started sketching in characters and scenes. Stories began to emerge, and a team of four writers (artistic director Matt McIver, executive director Zachary Mannheimer, video designer Chris Peterson and composer Chris Ford) worked through to get a finished script.

The cast includes Ivy Elwell, Gloria Dei Filippone, Meghan Glennon, Jim Morrill, Rashad Nagi, Devin Preston, KT Marie Scarcello, James Serpento, and Alissa Tschetter-Siedschlaw. We’re tremendously excited to be able to bring this work out to the public, and hope to see you there and start a conversation about this important topic. The production will open on Thursday, June 14 and run through June 24 at the Des Moines Social Club. Tickets are available for purchase via Midwestix.